As a certified American Food Appreciator I will say that much as with American beers, we in Europe largely don't get the best of American food culture exported. So the confused Europeans right now are such because the contrast between what we're told American food is vs what it's like there is huge.
I agree with this conditional on the implication being Bristol is better? That said also: I am actually still on the whole on team America Is One of The Great Food Cultures In The World - its size and diversity give you that. But (outside of like New York/LA) no one place in America embodies that.
When I compare Bristol UK to somewhere like Madison, WI and think of food on offer in restaurants and quality of food available in supermarkets, there really is no comparison. Small French cities definitely do FR food better and cheaper than UK counterparts, but range of cuisines is smaller
